


Be Safe, My Queen

by ikknowplaces



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Assassination, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Violence, queen!janai, this wasn't supposed to be 3k long, to be lovers, whoops i spilled some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24239590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikknowplaces/pseuds/ikknowplaces
Summary: Amaya visits Janai in Lux Aurea, or: Janai gets assassinated (but she's fine).
Relationships: Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 152





	Be Safe, My Queen

**Author's Note:**

> hello janaya fam! a little bird whispered to me that have been not enough janaya-only fics in the tag, so i am here to save the day. i've been wanting to write an action, angsty scene for a while now, got inspired by another fic i read, had a breakdown, bon apetit. i've been having a major writing block the past month, thanks quarantine. anyway, never let me write around midnight. amaya and janai aren't a couple yet but i wanted to explore the romantic tension between them. you know it gets real bad when i start messing with the povs. 
> 
> also the song for this one is NFWMB by hozier. i hope you'll like this!

* * *

Amaya wished she could have said that pure instinct woke her up, or that as a General with experience on the field for over a decade she was used to often being woken up by small sounds, or even to simply admit she has not been sleeping well, on thick feathered beds in regal rooms, decorated and furnished for the best of royalty, instead of the plain bed she had inside of the Breach castle, in a very simple chamber. Truth to be told, it all the running, and the vibrations of screams that echoed between the golden walls.

━━━━━━━

Lux Aurea was still in darkness. Not a full one, as the Sun still rose each day, radiating on the golden streets of the city, but darkness still ruled at the center of it, swirling with the hue corrupted magic. That she knew, from the lack of new information in each letter she received from Janai, and because of the visit that followed almost every letter.

At nearly every occasion- unless she was attending affairs within the castle- Janai stood on the city's main gate to greet her. Her usual armor did not surprise her, the slit crimson tunic painted with the golden scales above, the cloak that fell from her shoulders, her Sunforged sword, resting faithfully on her hip. The golden crown on her head. Only on later visits, she would share with her that she refused to wear the garb appropriate of a Queen, or to be called one. Her posture was similar each time, still as a rock, undoubting, though Amaya spotted hints of tiredness in her eyes. She did not presume to understand her state- a dead sister, the bright beacon of hope for her kind ruined and fouled, its wielding staff stolen, and a broken city. She only allowed herself to imagine her presence brought Janai some relief, perhaps even happiness, and to help. That was her one and only purpose.

As her visits increased in number, so did her stay. Janai, drowned in papers and ink, had half a mind to tell one of the servants to prepare Amaya a chamber of her own, in a suitable part of the castle, before the first day she arrived. She had no doubt Amaya wouldn't remain for the night at their first meeting, but just in case. It was better to be careful than to be wrong these days. And so, after the tenth-something visit, Amaya did stay the night, and the one after as well, and the one after- if she felt like it. Katolis was in good hands. Ezran had been assigned true advisors, with Opeli as his Hand, and only a small portion of her battalion remained at the Breach, patrolling the new crack in the river of lava that Viren had created. Amaya could stay, longer than half a day.

"Do you want to know the truth?" Janai asked her one evening. They had a routine: after Janai finished her last meeting, and was free of duties for the rest of the day, they walked near the palace as Janai filled her in, waiting for her opinion. The fresh air helped them both, as Janai was suffocated in rooms all day long, and the walk simulating their blood made them think better. It was nice. But this evening, Janai invited her to her guest chamber instead, to have a small supper before she'd retire for the night.

Amaya froze, and eyed her half-empty glass of wine. Janai had barely touched it, despite pouring one for them both. Confessions were not greatly delivered while drunk, and she wasn't sure what kind of confession she wanted to hear. Janai made her confused enough as it was, not that she'd admit that.

"I can't bear to look at it anymore." A crease formed between her brows, her face twisting in fury as she tilted her head towards the window, the curtains tied aside. Amaya glanced beyond the smooth glass to a dark blue sky, with stars shinning, and a few lights from the city underneath. The Sunforge was in the other direction, but Amaya knew what she meant.

She leaned forward from her chair and slid her hand across the table, between the empty plates and the two goblets, to place her hand on top of Janai's. At the touch, Janai returned to look at her, the moonlight reflecting the painted markings on her cheeks.

Amaya drew her hand away once she gained her attention, feeling the loss of her soft skin despite the gloves she wore. "We'll find a solution soon," she signed, hopefully slow enough for Janai to understand, without looking the compassion she wished to express. Janai's features softened as she took a breath, subconsciously, as if Amaya's words were calming her. "Your brother will come, right?" She finished with a smile and a slight nod.

Janai mirrored her smile. "Yes."

━━━━━━━

She bid Amaya goodnight after, the language still strange on her hands as well as her lips, as much as Kazi had been teaching her in whatever spaces of the day she had. She rose from her chair and held her hands together, squeezing the fingers of her left with her other palm, a faint wave of warmth in her face, before carrying the dirty plates on top of each other to the stand beside her door, along with the other dishes. One of the servants could clear them in the morning. She didn't want anyone else entering her chamber tonight. 

Amaya's presence made everything better. She didn't expect it from her; all she had in mind was returning to Lux Aurea alone, with a broken army, and a city twice more broken, and so she did, but no sooner than a week afterward a letter came from Katolis, signed by the General of the Standing Battalion. Amaya wanted to help her.

It was certainly one of the most wonderful things that ever happened to her. Amaya had her nephew as the king of Katolis, and not only her army but four more forces of the other human kingdoms misshapen and mutated, perhaps to the point of no return. She had taken her captive, blinded, and almost killed. Holding hands with her at the Storm Spire was not going to remedy that, but Amaya came anyway. She would have appreciated seeing her form walking in the streets of her city more, basking in the sunlight, if it wasn't for the Sunforge. If it wasn't for everything and  _ anything _ happening right now.

Janai smiled at the thoughts while she undressed, removing the golden armor first and placing in inside of her closet. She drew her tunic over her head and pull off her breeches, to don a more comfortable set for sleeping. She climbed on the bed- this was still her own room. She refused to move to the Queen's chambers, as she refused the coronation yet, and stared at the canopy, thinking of how Khessa must be scolding her for tossing her clothes over the armchair, or how she should have worn the nightgown instead, because that was what they were for, before she drifted to sleep.

━━━━━━━

Two hands pressing hard against her mouth woke her up. Janai opened her eyes startled, a pung of panic rising in her chest. For a moment she thought she couldn't breathe, and her heartbeat stopped, but one quick inhale told her her nose wasn't covered. The figure was planted above her, straddling her, holding her legs together. She couldn't recognize much in the darkness of the room, but her eyes drifted to the assassin anyway. Broad shoulders, bigger than her. A hood covered their face. A human? But why would a human attack her? There was peace now. A pair of horns poked beneath the hood. An Elf then.

"No need to scream, Your Radiance. This will be over soon." The figure's voice was low, though full of hate, and only then Janai realized they had their hand closed around her neck, the other still on her mouth. Their fingers buried into her skin, and the one gulp of air she took burned her throat.

Her instincts kicked in, infuriated by that title. The grip the attacked secured her legs with wasn't strong enough, as they pushed most of their body's weight towards her torso. That was foolish. She twisted free and drove her knee to the assassin's back, hitting them right at the bone. The yelled in pain, removing their hands from her, and Janai took the moment when they were momentarily fazed to close her fist and punch their face, so hard that she heard bone cracking, and they rolled to the floor tearing the curtains. She jumped to her feet as the figure was knocked off from her bed.

She was about to reach for her sword when something metallic flashed before her, and she was pinned to the wall long before she could feel the cut on her forearm, reaching almost to her elbow. Blood dripped down her arm, her back crushed by the toughness of the wall. This couldn't be the one who attacked her first. They were shaped like her, if a bit shorter. She ignored the stinging pain, overtaking her entire arm, her  _ sword _ arm, and mustered all of her strength to collide her head with the assassin's, sending them stumbling backward. 

Another came at her, shouting as they ran, but Janai ducked and kicked the one who pinned her to the wall in the stomach, and they crashed against one of her cabinets, sending broken pieces of wood flying everywhere. Despite her wound, she reached under the heavy mattress, drawing her burning sword from the scabbard, the flames lighting the room with their fire, and slashed at the one who came for her, a wide strike at the chest. Blood pooled at her bare feet from the corpse, soaking the carpet.

A fourth one charged at her, wielding a broadsword that matched their muscular arms, a curve coming at the edge. She sliced it with two strokes, at the half and at the base, inches away from the blackened hilt. Sparks ignited the air when her burning blade met the steel, and after the last strike, the figure snuck a brutal punch that would have shattered her nose if she hadn't moved at the last second. Instead, it hit her at the temple, sending thunderbolts down her spine. Janai recovered quickly, slid past on the smooth floor, and yelled out as she sent a deep flesh across the assassin's back, shoulder to shoulder. Dark blood spilled out from the wound, and smoke swirling to the ceiling when it touched the burning blade, the smell of flesh in the air.

With numbing pain at the side of her face and her arm still bleeding, Janai thought this might be the end, but another assassin approached came into view. What number- a fifth one? No, this was the one who had her against the wall. Slim, quick, like a shadow in this darkness. The faint light from her sword reveled dark green clothes, lined with grey. Those weren't Sunfire Elves. 

They had an ax in each hand, loosing and tightening their grip around it, ready to strike. A silver chain hanged from each pommel, wrapped around their wrists. They leaped forward in a wide arch, and brought down both of the axes on her, crossed over. Janai stumbled under the weight of the attack but held her stance, pushing her sword further until it bit into the iron, melting it with a hiss. The assassin's eyes grew wider at the impact, and they cried out when the iron dripped onto their hands. In a desperate swing, they hacked at her, and Janai avoided the attack easily. She seized them by the collar and drove the sword through their chest, screaming as she ran the length of her chamber to press them against the wall. They dropped their weapons, all the strength disappearing from their body, and Janai drew her sword away, stained with blood.

Silence. She looked around the room. Three bodies lied on her floor, unmoving. Glass was shattered on the floor, as well as wood, her bed ripped. Blood, everywhere. The only sound was of her own breathless panting. Her head spun, and she clenched her wound.

Where by the Sun were the guards? She walked slowly to the door where they should be standing, ready to barge into the room at any suspicious sound, wary of other assassins that might appear out of thin air. She opened her chamber's door to find the two collapsed on the floor, blood smeared on the wall.

Her hands opened and closed. Two Elves, dead because of her. Possibly more. Who knows how many others the assassins ran into. Rage filled her blood, boiling it, making the layer of gloss in her eyes evaporate before the tears could gather there. The smell of smoke filled her nose. "FUCK!"

━━━━━━━

The vibrations were so strong Amaya could have mistaken them for a storm going outside of the castle, and a distant memory came to her of how the earth shook under Thunder's bolts of lightning when he roared, making the ground come over itself. But thunder was dead, slain by her brother-in-law. She threw her covers away at once, and rapid thumps echoed on the floor under her feet. People running, lots of people. 

Out of instinct, branded into her by years of service, she reached out for her sword, and swung the door open. People did run by, soldiers half armored with their swords unsheathed. Between the blur of the rushing crowd, she found one lady, wearing a simple gown, a look of worry of her face as she carried a basin of water and bandages. 

Amaya strode to her. "What happened?" She asked. 

The woman might have no understood her signs, but she understood the intensity of her stare good enough. "It's the Queen," she said, and wriggled free from Amaya's grasp.

The color drained from her face. She ran forward to Janai's chamber before her knees could turn weak, pushing soldiers and other residents of the castle. Another person wouldn't have gotten away with it, a  _ human _ shoving people of the palace away, a human who was a visitor at best, but Amaya was a General still, and aunt to the king of Katolis, and she had fought alongside Janai.

_ She's fine, she's fine _ , the thought repeated in her mind with each step. She slowed where the guards were crowded by the door, and pushed a pair away. Five bodies were on the floor, two wearing golden armor, the other three had hooded cloaks and dark green clothes. Her eyes drifted up, almost afraid of what they might see, but all she found was Janai, seated on a chair, and the royal healer kneeling at her side.

━━━━━━━

The air seemed to cool when Amaya arrived. First, the other guards came, stopping by the door to see their fellow protectors dead, then another came with the royal healer, who made her sit down. Janai's head was dizzy as she tilted it against the chair, her sword was sheathed on the floor, just in her reach. Two handmaids were beside her at once, wiping the blood from her face and wherever else it was sprayed on her body. The side of her head where she was punched began to pulsate now, and all while the Mage carefully cleaned her cut she wished it was her brother all along. Or maybe not, it was better that Ori was half a continent away. 

Then Amaya came, looking so confused and pained for her. Her room was a mess, and Janai felt her blood rising again, not in fury like before, but in shame.  _ She's going to ask me why I didn't go into Heat-Being mode, _ she thought.

What Amaya signed was completely different. "Are you okay?" She asked, the movements of her hands so small, as if she was whispering.

"Yes," Janai nodded. She suddenly took in how many people were surrounding her, including the one inspecting the bodies outside. "Leave us," she told the Mage, too exhausted for manners, her desire to have a moment alone with Amaya too strong.

She put her hand on the chair's arm, grunted when the pain jolted her arm, and pushed herself up. She stood in front of Amaya, at a loss of words, moonlight and wind showering the room through the broken window. Each breath she took was harder until the realization struck her. Four assassins infiltrated into the castle, and one jumped from the window, free in the city now. Dozens of lives were in danger. They were supposed to be safe under her roof. "Amaya, I'm so sorry. You should leave, you're not safe here."

Amaya only shook her head and stepped towards her. "I'm fine. It's not your fault." Once she was close, Janai could feel the warmth of her, and see how her hair was slightly tangled from her sleep. Amaya grazed the untouched skin along with her cut, the torn flesh still reddened, before she brought her fingers to trace the bruise on her face, turning darker by the minute. "Who were they?"

Janai sighed. "Earthblood Elves. Four of them. One escaped from the window." It was the first thing she told the guards who arrived, to send groups into the city, and secure the gate. She could only assume they used some spell to disguise themselves, and that they came for her life because she began peace with the humans. That was the last thing she needed.

Amaya nodded, though Janai guessed she had half a dozen of questions in mind. They looked at each other, in this broken room, blood spotting the floor. How was it that Amaya saw her at her most vulnerable moments? She was about to thank her when Amaya closed the gap between them and caught her in an embrace, wrapping her arms around her. Janai gasped, afraid that her body might betray and collapse in its weak state, but Amaya's arms were so comforting. Janai brought her good arm to her back, and buried her face in Amaya's shoulder. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> my [tdp sideblog](https://rrunaan.tumblr.com)


End file.
